Fishing Derby expected to attract at least 6,000

Feb. 3, 1955 – The Associated Press sent representatives to Glenwood to cover ice fishing. “Crappietown” at the time had 800 houses in it. Knute Eide, mayor of the ice village for the past 13 years, was facing opposition in the person of Oscar Bjork. Streets and signs as well as a fire plug were set up for the photographers.

Forty-two Cub Scouts were made honorary engineers when they rode the Soo Line from Glenwood to Lowry. Arranged by Cub master Russell Buchholz and assistant Gus Hanson, the trip featured the train ride, a tour of the Soo Line round house and the three diesels which were there for service.

The first snow of the year, which “amounted to anything,” opened the Glenhaven ski area for the season. The Glenwood Lions Club, which ran the operation, announced that ski tow charges were 25, 40 and 75 cents per day and that the new Chalet building would be open Saturdays and Sundays for refreshments. The date for the annual ski tournament was set for Feb. 20.

Feb. 4, 1965 – The third annual Boy Scout Fishing Derby on Lake Minnewaska was expected to attract at least 6,000 Scouts and their families to Glenwood. WCCO Radio was to report the event as was KCMT-TV.

Ernest Hoium, Nora Township farmer, was named Star Farmer during the annual meeting of the Pope County Soil and Water Conservation District. Hoium was cited for installing waterways, strip cropping, surface field ditches, diversion terraces and trial seeding of the waterways. The Pope County District was also named the top conservation district in Area 4 by the Minneapolis Star and Tribune.

A veteran Starbuck banker was named Pope County’s Outstanding Senior Citizen. Chosen from a field of 10 nominees was Edward W. Olson, president of the First National Bank of Starbuck. Olson, 73, was also active with the area Shriners and had for years directed the Starbuck Municipal Band. He also enjoys sketching and yard work.

Feb. 6, 1975 – Gerald Moe, a Glenwood native, was named Glenwood police chief to replace Norman Nelson who resigned. The city commission appointed Moe during a regular meeting. Moe was a graduate of Glenwood High School, served in the US Army and had worked in law enforcement in Waseca, Wadena and Granite Falls before returning to Glenwood.

Taxpayers in the city of Glenwood found their real estate taxes up about 14 percent from the previous year. Compared to 1973, the increase was only seven percent. Major causes were the addition of the Glacial Ridge Hospital to the tax rolls, a substantial school levy increase, an increase in the city levy and an increase in the welfare portion of the county levy.

Feb. 7, 1985 –  All four headlines on the front page of the Tribune pertained to the farm crisis, which was on many people’s minds. The four Tribune stories involved a rally to call attention to the crisis, a Starbuck area farmer getting a six-week reprieve on the foreclosure which threatened his farm, a meeting sponsored by Pope County extension on how to deal with stress, and the goals of Ground-swell, a grassroots attempt to deal with the crisis.

Feb. 6, 1995 – Sharing law enforcement protection within the county was on the agenda of the Pope County Board of Commissioners meeting. As a possible money-saving idea, Don Schaub, mayor of Glenwood, had asked the county board to work with the city in forming a committee to study the idea once again.

The one-act play cast and crew from Minnewaska Area High School had won first place at the Section 6 one-act play competition held at the University of Minnesota, Morris. The 15 members of the winning team had presented The Final Trial of Richard III under the direction of Lee Paulson. The students would compete in the state competition at St. Catherine’s College in St. Paul.

Final plans for the annual Snow Week at Minnewaska Area High School had been made with the coronation of the new royalty. Candidates for queen were Jami Anderson, Tami Hoium, Marin Hustad, Cheryl Moorer, Heidi Mueller, Jenny Smith, Charity Torguson and Laura Willprecht. Candidates for king were Jason Bosch, Travis DeBoer, David Jergenson, Mike Linde, Brad Nelson, Curt Ogdahl, Rick Peterson and Dan Wold.

Feb. 7, 2005 –  As some parents worry about older students bullying their young children, a senior high student cast light on one example of older students who look out for young students who are in trouble or look lost. Tony Frederick saw another student on the bus who appeared to be choking. As other students looked on not knowing what to do, Frederick went to the student’s aid. Sixth-grader Eric Rust was coughing and choking due to a viral infection. Tony hit him on the back a few times and then brought Eric to the front of the bus and told the bus driver. They got off the bus and made a phone call to Rust’s parents. “It feels good to help,” said Frederick.

Jason Olson was selected for membership in the Minnesota Band Directors Association Ninth and Tenth Grade Honor Band. The ninth-grader has studied under the direction of Kip Johnson and will perform in concert with the honor band at Hopkins High School auditorium.

Feb. 2, 2015 – Former Glenwood mayor Bill Ogdahl took the floor one more time at last week’s city commission meeting. Ogdahl accepted a plaque from new mayor Scott Formo thanking him for his 15 years of service to the city – both as a commissioner and as mayor. “I really appreciated working with all of you staff, everyone,” Ogdahl told commissioners. “This is the finest little town anywhere.”

Deb Mercier, Pope County Tribune news editor, won two awards in the annual Minnesota Better Newspaper Contest. The awards were presented to her at the Minnesota Newspaper Convention. Mercier won a first-place award in the Arts and Entertainment category for her story titled Military Service in Kandahar, Afghanistan hits home. The story featured a Minnewaska Area High School play written by students and based on Patty Roth’s blogs during her active service in Afghanistan. Mercier also won an award for her photograph, Royal handshake, that captured the MAHS Homecoming coronation. It was awarded third place in the Portrait and Personality Photo category.

Brandon Schoen and Nathan Gallagher duked it out for 21 rounds at the MAS District Spelling Bee last Tuesday. In the end, Brandon took the top spot and will move on to the regional competition in Fergus Falls on Feb. 10. Nathan earned the runner-up spot.